


Anniversary Surprise

by noora7



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Rumbelle is Hope
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-16
Updated: 2016-05-16
Packaged: 2018-06-08 17:28:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6866224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noora7/pseuds/noora7
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A little fluff as part of Rumbelle Is Hope. First time writing Rumbelle so it isn't great, but I thought I'd contribute anyway.</p>
<p>Belle is one week overdue and it's their wedding anniversary.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Anniversary Surprise

_Ergh_. It wasn’t that warm in the house, but Belle had just stepped out of her second cold shower of the day. She glanced at the clock and wondered how long she would last before she needed another one. Her first trimester hadn’t been too rough on her – she had a little nausea but her main ailment had been horrible heartburn. Her second trimester was absolutely delightful, completely symptom free (well, except from a very, **very** heightened sexual appetite but she wasn’t about to complain about that) and when they had started to feel their baby move… There were no words to describe how that had made them feel.

Now she was in her third trimester, and a week overdue as well, and she felt like she had been pregnant forever. She had always been petite, and the baby was already measuring at the 90th percentile so the added weight was really taking a toll on her body. She always felt overheated, couldn’t eat much before she felt stuffed and her back constantly ached. She was also extremely emotional, so she was a little glad that they had decided not to do much more than a simple dinner for their first anniversary that day.

One year. They’d been married a whole year. How had it felt like an eternity and yet flown by in the blink of an eye? When all the dust from the battle with Hades had settled and Rumple had awoken her with True Love’s Kiss, they had spent the first month of her pregnancy trying to work through all of their issues themselves, before realizing they most definitely needed help. She had convinced Rumple to attempt therapy with Archie. It hadn’t been easy, and there were days where she wasn’t sure they’d come out the other side, but the absolute determination on both their parts not to give up on their love had kept them going.

She was reaching for her tub of cocoa butter when she realized that there was a letter addressed to her on her dressing table. She’d recognize the looping letters of Rumple’s handwriting anywhere. Looking around, she couldn’t see him anywhere, and she wondered when he’d snuck the letter in. Had it been there all day? Or did he come in early from the shop and put the letter there while she had just been in the shower? Smiling to herself as she thought of Rumple sneaking around, she pulled the letter out of the envelope.

_My Dearest Belle,_

_I know we agreed on no gifts and just a quiet dinner at home, but I had some things I wanted to say to you, that I felt I’d be able to express better through a letter than in person._

_One year ago today, we said our marriage vows. It was one of the happiest moments of my life, but everything went south pretty quickly. I don’t think the first three months of our marriage could have been harder, and I apologise yet again for the part I played in ripping the “honeymoon period” away from our marriage._

_After Baelfire’s passing, I felt like the door slammed on the room that held all the hope and joy in my life. I was so thankful to have you, but the pain of losing a child is immeasurable. I’ve experienced that pain twice now, and I don’t think I would have ever learned to begin to deal with it without you behind me, spurring me on._

_These past 9 months have been amazing. Watching our child grow in you and seeing you take everything in your stride has been inspirational. You are the strongest person I know and I am in absolute awe of you._

_Thank you, my love, for helping bring hope and joy back into my life. I cannot promise you that our future will be an easy one, but I promise to love you and our child, and work as hard as I can to give the two of you a future that you deserve._

_Thank you for loving me, not in spite of what I am, but for exactly who I am. Your faith in me keeps me going. I could not imagine a better matriarch for this family._

_I love you. Always._

_Rumplestiltskin_

She looked up and spotted her husband standing in the doorway through her tear filled eyes.

“I didn’t mean to make you cry, sweetheart.”

“Well, then, you shouldn’t have written me a heartfelt letter, Rumple.”

He gave her a shy smile as he walked towards her and held out his hand to her.

“May I have this dance, Mrs. Gold?”

The tears flowed freely now as Rumple helped her onto her feet and they started swaying together. There wasn’t any of the pomp that Rumple had magic-ed into their first dance as husband and wife – she was only in her underwear and her hair was dripping water down her back – but it was perfect.

She felt her heart swell, like it always did when Rumple did anything romantic. This time though, it didn’t stop with her heart. The feeling just grew bigger, and what had started as warmth in her heart suddenly became discomfort all over her torso.

_Damn hormones. Why would making me feel like I’m about to burst be in any way -. OH._

She felt Rumple stop as they both looked down at their feet.

“Belle?”

_Huh._

“Sweetheart?" 

_What was it that Dr. Whale said? Oh yes – it’s quite rare for your water bag to spontaneously burst with the first child. I guess not. Oh, and there’s another gush._

“Belle!”

Rumple’s raised voice pulled her out of her own head and she looked up into his panicked eyes.

“Yes?”

He gestured to the puddle of liquid on his shoes.

“Are you –“

“Yes.”

“Should I –“

“Yes.”

She saw her husband turn to their wardrobe to grab the hospital bag and a change of shoes. She started heading to the front door.

“Belle, darling? Do you want to put something on before we leave?”

Right. She hadn’t put on any clothes.

_Damn pregnancy brain._

She turned back to get dressed and noticed Rumple doing his best to wipe up the trail of liquid she was leaving behind. He looked up to catch her eye.

“Ready?”

She glanced back into their bedroom. The next time they would be back here, they would be a family of three. A family. She smiled and nodded.

“Let’s go have our baby, Mr. Gold.”

**Author's Note:**

> The letter that Rumple wrote to Belle is somewhat based off the speech I gave at my 5th anniversary dinner.
> 
> The water bag bit is based on my own experience when I went into labour with my son.


End file.
